Guatemalan Commandos

The National Army of Guatemala Commandos (Spanish: Ejército de Guatemala - Comandos, EGC), better known simply as the Guatemalan Commandos, were the special forces branch of the National Army of Guatemala. Formed after World War II, the Commandos saw action in Operation Blackshadow against the United States and Mexico, but they were dissolved on 14 February 1951 when the war ended.

History
During World War II, Guatemalan dictator Jorge Ubico sought to create a special forces branch of the Guatemalan Army modeled after the Green Berets of the US Army. The United States gave his forces training until Ubico's overthrow in 1944, and his socialist successors would court the friendship of the Soviet Union, which trained their forces. The commandos were based out of a military installation north of the capital of Guatemala City, and they were deployed to combat in 1951 during Operation Blackshadow, the invasion of Guatemala by US and Mexico during the Cold War. The special forces were of little use to the army, as they were not combat-ready, and the Guatemalan Commandos were crushed in the fighting for the capital city in January. On 14 February 1951, the Guatemalan Commandos were officially disbanded when Guatemala became a US puppet state, and the Guatemalan Army was severely reduced in size.